Jōkamachi

Jōkamachi (城下町, city below the castle) were centres of the domains of the feudal lords in medieval Japan. The jōkamachi represented the new, concentrated military power of the daimyo in which the formerly decentralized defence resources were concentrated around a single, central citadel. These cities did not necessarily form around castles after the Edo period; some are known as Jin'yamachi, cities that have evolved around Jin'ya or government offices that are not intended to provide military services. Defined broadly, jokamachi includes Jin'yamachi. It is also referred to as jōka, as was common before the early modern period.